Through March 23, Mirotic is leading the league by averaging 9.5 points in the fourth quarter this month (LeBron was at 8.5, Westbrook 7.5). The Bulls were without their starting backcourt of Derrick Rose and All-Star Jimmy Butler (who just returned on the 23rd), but behind Mirotic's clutch scoring the team has maintained its place in the standings by going 6-7 so far. Mirotic has scored 23 or more points in seven game in March, including four of the last five. For the month he is averaging 21.0 points (15th in the NBA), 8.2 rebounds (14th) and 7.8 free throw attempts (5th) per game. He has played so well that he has been nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March. The general consensus among Bulls fans (and the rest of the league) is that unless Derrick Rose returns as something close to his MVP form, the Bulls are no better than a 2nd-round team in the playoffs. But could the emergence of Mirotic significantly reduce the Bulls reliance on Rose? The team does have a few other talented players - SG Jimmy Butler has emerged as an All-Star player on offense to go along with his All-NBA level defense. His 20.2 points per game rank 14th in the league, and his defense hasn't suffered from the increased load he must carry on offense (Butler is 4th in the league in steals). He leads the league in minutes per game (38.9), but he is also well rested after sitting out close to a month recovering from an elbow injury. Pau Gasol has had a career resurgence this season - he is 20th in the league in scoring (18.6), but most importantly he's also top-5 in rebounds and blocked shots while leading the league in double-doubles. His defense has been average at best, but the hope is that he has been coasting somewhat on that end of the floor, knowing that he needs to be as fresh as possible for the playoffs. https://bullsville.sportsblog.com/p...c_change_the_nba_s_postseason_landscape_.html
We do have a lot of talent and that will help. I don't think we need Rose at MVP level to make a significant playoff run. We do need Rose at a solid near all-star levelor all-star level to make a ssignificant playoff run. Even then, I think the scrambled season of injuries and resulting line up resolving door leaves this team without the gelling and smooth running gears necessary for a legitimate contention run. Longshot at best. Miracle on Ice sstuff.
